Frank Zappa before he became a musical eccentric

[JohnnyRingo]

When he was on the show back in 1963 to play the bicycle, I don't think host Steve Allen took him seriously as the savant he was. Or maybe he did.

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[redstateblues]

1. Little known fact about the brilliant Zappa

He produced Grand Funk Railroad's last album for MCA

[NYC_SKP]

2. I've heard him described as a polymath.

I love that about him.

[cyberswede]

3. Well, it is pretty musically eccentric to play a bicycle...

Thanks for posting.

[rhett o rick]

4. I am a huge Steve Allen fan and trust me that he took him as serious as

Steve could take anyone, which wasn't all that serious.

[Man from Pickens]

5. he was always a musical eccentric

That vid is pretty eccentric, no?

Cucamonga has material from the same time frame and it's already off-the-wall stuff.

[WhoIsNumberNone]

6. So...

[DeSwiss]

7. Frank Zappa was ''not from around here.''

- Neither am I. That's how I know. I always loved watching and hearing Zappa talk to people because you usually had no idea what he was going to say. And after he did, sometimes you still didn't know what he said. Or meant. Maybe six years or six months later, if might just come to you.

Here is ''Ionisation'' by Edgard Varèse, the man's whose electronic approach to ''new'' music inspired Zappa, Charlie Parker, the Beatles and many others to write.

K&R

Zappa at 16......



Mostly he just spoke truth and in so doing it just seemed like crazy talk because we're not used to hearing it.......

[NBachers]

8. And he was already "Frank Zappa" at this time.

I always thought he was one of the greatest musical geniuses of the 20th century, but he'd write this incredibly intricate composition and then call it Fart Symphony No. 6 or something, thereby completely discrediting it in the eyes of the wider audience.

[90-percent]

9. FZ

Been a fan since the October 16,1971 Stony Brook late show. I always tell people that Zappa's VALUES resonate with me as much as his music. He did interviews with anybody any time any place for any reason at all his entire career, so there's a vast warehouse of Zappa wisdom out there.

"Without deviation there is no progress"

This particular video includes the last minute where Steve is highly complimentary to FZ's musical experiment.

Frank's testimony during the 1985 Senate PMRC hearings was a spectacular display of speaking truth to power. Frank's self assuredness and the clarity of though made him a debating force to be reckoned with.

This Rachel Maddow segment covers "the great Frank Zappa's" testimony at the hearing quite well. IT meant a lot to me that Rachel would refer to my lifelong hero like that!

-90% Jimmy

[Nitram]

10. Reminds me of John Cage

and the "found object" approach to music. Brian Eno also comes to mind.